Carrefour Market Going Green

Well, it's about time! Going green all the way, Carrefour's new outlet, Carrefour Market, at the Sphere in Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur, has implemented its no-plastic-bag policy starting last week.

I'd have to bring a few more recyclable bags if I were to be shopping like the models below. I have stocked up a few of these bags but probably will need more (before prices go up based on demand).

Do you bring your own recyclable bag(s)?

Friday Frolics - What Fall Fruit or Vegetable Are You Most Like?

I didn't know apples are a Fall fruit. Over here, fruits have their seasons. We can go for months without a mango on the store shelf nor a rambutan or durian but strangely, we get apples here all-year-round. Interesting!

By the way, this quiz here says I'm an Apple.. What are you?

You Are Apples

You have simple tastes in food, and you appreciate a basic, clean flavor. You don't think eating or cooking should be complicated. In fact, you're really not one for cooking much at all. Your best meals come together quickly and don't require many ingredients. If anything, you're the type of person who's more likely to pull out the oven mitts and bake every so often. Chocolate chip cookies are one of your favorite things to smell baking, and it goes without saying that you love apple pie.

What Fall Fruit or Vegetable Are You Most Like?

There is a Quiz for Almost Everything

How to Suppress Appetite for Food

According to the Chinese community, one should not refuse or shun food as to be able to eat is a blessing. And with that in mind, many of us have turned into gluttons and having a broader mid-section to show for it.

We all know that anything in excess is harmful, food included. Perhaps what some of us need is an appetite suppressant to at least curb our food-craving ways. Or perhaps pick up smoking and/or drink lots of coffee. I hear smoking and caffeine suppress appetite. Maybe not, let's just stick to good old-fashioned discipline.

Of Steam Iron and Steam Cleaners

Steam does wonders. The other day at a Homelife exhibition, I almost bought a steam iron, you know the type that you can just go over the crinkled fabric and voila! it's all smooth and ironed out. Sometimes I wonder if it really works that well or is it just a magic trick that only the sales personnel is trained to do.

Homes with wall-to-wall carpeting definitely can do with steam cleaners or at least one at home. Carpets are landing pads for dust and over time, they become homes for dust-mites, the cause of a host of health problems.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concert

That must have been some party, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's 25th anniversary concert held in New York's Madison Square Garden on Oct 29 & 30 with rock legends including Crosby, Stills & Nash, Simon & Garfunkel, Paul Simon solo, Stevie Wonder, and Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and the E Street Band who can all fill arenas by themselves.










Set List (courtesy of Entertainment Weekly)
Jerry Lee Lewis, “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”
Crosby, Stills & Nash, “Woodstock”
Crosby, Stills & Nash, “Marrakesh Express”
Crosby, Stills & Nash, “Almost Cut My Hair”
Bonnie Raitt with Crosby and Nash, “Love Has No Pride”
Bonnie Raitt with Crosby, Stills & Nash, “Midnight Rider”
Jackson Browne with Crosby, Stills & Nash, “The Pretender”
James Taylor with Crosby and Nash, “Mexico”
Crosby, Stills & Nash with James Taylor, “Love the One You’re With”
Crosby, Stills & Nash, “Rock & Roll Woman”
Crosby, Stills & Nash with Jackson Browne, James Taylor, and Bonnie Raitt, “Teach Your Children”
Paul Simon, “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”
Paul Simon, “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”
Paul Simon, “Call Me Al”
Dion DiMucci with Paul Simon, “The Wanderer”
Paul Simon with Crosby and Nash, “Here Comes the Sun”
Paul Simon, “Late in the Evening”
Little Anthony and the Imperials, “Two Kinds of People”
Simon & Garfunkel, “The Sounds of Silence”
Simon & Garfunkel, “Mrs. Robinson”/”Not Fade Away” medley
Simon & Garfunkel, “The Boxer”
Simon & Garfunkel, “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
Simon & Garfunkel, “Cecilia”
Stevie Wonder, “Blowin’ in the Wind”
Stevie Wonder, “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)”
Stevie Wonder, “I Was Made to Love Her”
Stevie Wonder, “For Once in My Life”
Stevie Wonder, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”
Stevie Wonder, “Boogie On Reggae Woman”
Smokey Robinson with Stevie Wonder, “The Tracks of My Tears”
John Legend with Stevie Wonder, “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)”
Stevie Wonder with John Legend, “The Way You Make Me Feel”
B.B. King with Stevie Wonder, “The Thrill Is Gone”
Stevie Wonder, “Living for the City”
Stevie Wonder with Sting, “Higher Ground”/”Roxanne” medley
Stevie Wonder with Jeff Beck, “Superstition”
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out”
Sam Moore with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “Hold On, I’m Comin’”
Sam Moore with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,”Soul Man”
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with Tom Morello, “The Ghost of Tom Joad”
John Fogerty with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “Fortunate Son”
John Fogerty with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “Proud Mary”
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with John Fogerty, “Oh, Pretty Woman”
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “Jungleland”
Darlene Love with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “A Fine, Fine Boy”
Darlene Love with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “Da Doo Ron Ron”
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with Tom Morello, “London Calling”
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “Badlands”
Billy Joel with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “You May Be Right”
Billy Joel with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “Only the Good Die Young”
Billy Joel with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “New York State of Mind”
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with Billy Joel, “Born to Run”
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with Billy Joel, Darlene Love, Sam Moore, John Fogerty, Tom Morello, Jackson Browne, and Peter Wolf, “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher)”


Related articles:
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert - Entertainment Weekly
Epic moments at the Rock Hall 25th Anniversary Concert - RollingStone
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concerts - Metallica.com


Image source: life.com

Appreciating Art

I watched "Thomas Crown Affair" the other night for the umpteenth time. The word 'art' conjures up some pretty pictures, at least it does for me. But then again, beauty is subjective and it really is in the eye of the beholder.

Just like these works of art below. The first piece reminds me of the one in my office which makes me feel how inadequate I am at interpreting modern art. Sigh.





And then there are these..




Mind you, all these are pieces by famous artists and are slated for Fall Auction at Sotheby's this coming week. Even auction houses have been impacted by the economic downturn as prices for art pieces - paintings, sculptures, drawings - have taken a beating.

Gone are the days of lucrative financial incentives like guarantees (a minimum sum offered to a seller regardless of the outcome of a sale) that were regularly doled out when times were good. Gone too are extravagant parties and lavish catalogs the size of telephone books.

People now think carefully about what they buy and how much they are willing to spend. Prices are also lower because there aren’t many blockbuster artworks on the market.


Source: NY Times

Malaysia International Fashion Week, Nov 4 to Nov 8 - Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

During Fashion Week in New York, there was a constant flurry of activity on the streets as models scurried to their modelling fittings and assignments, fashion designers and assistants shopping for fabrics and such, and photogs having a field day...and endless eve-candy for all..

I wonder if we'll see the same kind of activity here in Kuala Lumpur from Nov 4 to 8 these dates being the Malaysia International Fashion Week.



Malaysia International Fashion Week promises to return with a bang! Presented by Maxis, it will be held from Nov 4 to Nov 8 at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

You'll get to see New York-based Japanese supermodel, Ai Tominaga, and 10 award-winning models from Beijing strutting their stuff all set to sizzle on the catwalk while bearing the creations of top designers from Malaysia, the region and beyond. It's going to be a Fashion extravaganza to watch out for.


For details, visit www.m-ifa.com. In the meantime, below is the schedule at the Pavilion for your easy reference. Click on image to enlarge.

10 Dangerous Everyday Things in Your Home

We have known that chemicals are bad for health. They are toxic and dangerous. Scientists have realized that chemicals found in a wide variety of the goods we use every day may be more toxic than previously thought.

Where are these toxins coming from and what can we do about it? Here are 10 of the most common products that people are starting to think twice about bringing into their houses.

10. Mothballs
Mothballs emit one of the most distinctive and unpleasant household scents. Since moths will chew holes through clothing or other textiles, people pack away these stinky repellents to kill any moths that attempt to. But as they convert from a solid to a gas, you do not want to inhale too much of it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency even requires mothball manufacturers to include a warning on packaging to "avoid breathing in the vapors."

9. Pesticides
According to the National Pesticide Telecommunications Network, 90 percent of households in the United States use some form of pesticides [source: NPTC]. Pesticide is a broad term that encompasses a variety of chemical formulas that kill everything from tiny microorganisms up to rodents. They could be insecticides, fungicides, disinfectants or other varieties. Because these are poisons, the U.S. EPA requires pesticide manufacturers to include the toxicity level of the product on its packaging.

8. Pressed Wood Products
If you catch a couple episodes of "The Brady Bunch," you can see pressed wood paneling at the height of its splendor. This faux wood is like the hotdog of timber products, taking bits and pieces of logs and whatnot and combining them together. Pressed wood products also include particle board, fiberboard and insulation, which were particularly popular for home construction in the 1970s.

7. Chemicals in Carpet
Indoor carpeting has recently come under greater scrutiny because of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with new carpet installation. Although the popular floor covering isn't inherently dangerous, people have reported health problems associated with it [source: EPA].

6. Laser Printers Chemicals
A 2007 study from the Queensland University of Technology in Australia found that some laser printers give off ultra fine particles that could cause serious health problems [source: He, Morawaska and Taplin]. Another study from the National Institute of Public Health also confirmed that laser and ink-jet printers can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ozone particulates [source: Kagi et al].

5. Lead Paint
In 1991, the U.S. government declared lead to be the greatest environmental threat to children [source: EPA]. Not a big surprise considering the nasty effects that lead exposure can have on adults and children alike. Even low concentrations can cause problems with your central nervous system, brain, blood cells and kidneys [source: EPA]. It's particularly threatening for fetuses, babies and children, because of potential developmental disorders.

4. Air Fresheners and Cleaning Solutions
Air fresheners and cleaning solutions freshen and sanitize our indoor habitats. However, a study by the University of California at Berkeley found that when used excessively or in a small, unventilated area, these products release toxic levels of pollutants.

3. Baby Bottles and BPA
Canada has taken the first steps to outlaw the sale of baby bottles made from polycarbonate plastics, which are the most common type on the market. It has done so because the plastics are made with a chemical called bisphenol-a (BPA). When heated, these types of baby bottles can release BPA.

2. Flame Retardants
Commonly used in mattresses, upholstery, television and computer casings and circuit boards, flame retardants have likely saved many lives by preventing unexpected fires in homes across the world. However, science has revealed a dark­er side to these chemical superheroes, called polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs for short, found in a variety of consumer plastics. Two forms of PBDEs were phased out of use in manufacturing in the United States in 2004 because of related health threats [source: CDC]. However, the products containing them and their cousin deca-PBDE linger on.

1. Cosmetic Phthalates
Forget about bat poop in mascara. There's another icky ingredient that could be floating around in your favorite beauty products. Phthalates, also called plasticizers, go into many products dotted around your bathroom and vanity, including hair spray, shampoos, fragrances, deodorants and even your rubber ducky. Along with increasing the durability and flexibility of plastics, phthalates also bind the color and fragrance in cosmetic products.

There you have it, all 10 dangerous everyday things in your home compiled by HowStuffWorks. Visit the site for more details.